1968 Charger vs. 2013 Charger

For fun let’s pit the classic 1968 Dodge Charger against the 2013 edition. Forty-five years seperate these two beasts. Out of respect for our elders we’ll start with the ’68.

The 1968 version of the Charger unveiled significant design changes. The double-diamond coke bottle profile and kick-up spoiler appearance were meant to envoke the raceways of Daytona. The changes had their desired effect. Sales jumped an astonishing 509 percent over the ’67 models. The best available motor was the 426 Street HEMI rated at 425 bhp. An interesting bit of history, the Street HEMI (or a slightly detuned version) was only made available to the public because NASCAR banned its use in super-speedway in 1965. The 1968 was an absolute screamer, but better in the straightaways than the curves. It could be a little stiff and it cornered flat. Still, when that HEMI roared. Look out.

With the 2013 edition Dodge is hoping to inspire nostalgia for the late sixties era by adding some Daytona-esque design tweeks. Deep side-scallops and a blacked out hair grille harken back. Aside from these throwback nods the 2013 is pure modern. The interior offers 12-way power adjustable seats, heated and ventilated, an 8.4 inch display, and a ridiculous 19-speaker sound system. A HEMI still lurks under the hood. The 6.4 liter V8 produces 470 horsepower during chassis dyno testing and hits a top speed of 175mph!

The newest edition is a sweet ride. It’s faster. It handles better. The seats warm your rear. We don’t care. Not many muscle cars make for a better classic restoration project than a late sixties Charger. We’ll take old school every day of the week.Photo Credits: cargurus.com, motortrend.com